Edinburgh Tram Network
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh Trams is a tram
way system which has been under construction in Edinburgh
, Scotland, since 2008.
There have been several delays and cost over-runs in the construction of the tramway. The new tram system was originally scheduled to enter revenue service in February 2011. By March 2010, project delays had resulted in the prime contractor revising their estimated completion date to 2014, and by the end of 2010 only 28% of the infrastructure had been completed.
On becoming operational, the trams will be operated by Edinburgh Trams Limited, a company wholly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council. Originally costed at £375 million in 2003, the budget was later increased to £545 million; in May 2011, it was revealed that £440 million had already been spent on the project. A report issued the following month estimated that the partial completion of the tram line from the airport to the city centre would cost £770 million. A further report issued in August 2011 estimated that the final cost for the proposed line would be over £1 billion, including £228 million interest payments on a 30-year loan to cover the funding shortfall.
The project has suffered from contractual disputes between the contractors and Transport Initiatives Edinburgh
(tie), the tram project management company. After mediation talks in early 2011, a deal to enable contractors to return to work on priority locations was arranged in May 2011. Later in the year, tie was relieved of its responsibilities and wound down, being heavily criticized for its handling of the project.
Until June 2011, the proposed network consisted of one line running east-west across the city from Edinburgh Airport
to Newhaven
, with future extensions subject to further funding. , this line has been reduced to the section from the airport to St Andrew Square in the city centre, due to cost over-runs. On 29 November 2011 it was announced that the City of Edinburgh Council's City Development Department had agreed that the line should be slightly extended from St Andrew Square to York Place
.
In August 2011 the First Minister, Alex Salmond
, announced that a public inquiry
will be held into the project.
, ran from 1871 until it was decommissioned on 16 November 1956. Since then public transport services consisted of bus
es and a limited network of local rail lines. Towards the end of the 20th century, there was revived interest in tramways and light rail transport, and several British cities such as Manchester
and Nottingham
introduced new light rail transit systems. Various schemes were proposed in the 1990s, and a plan to build a line along Princes Street and Leith Walk to Newhaven pier was unveiled in 1999 by the City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise
and the New Edinburgh Tramways Company (NET). Following years of transport studies in Edinburgh, two bill
s were submitted to the Scottish Parliament
to reintroduce a tram network to Edinburgh. Both bills were passed in March 2006, and received Royal Assent
in April/May.
In May 2004, the 15-year operating contract for Edinburgh Trams was awarded to Transdev
. Trading as Transdev Edinburgh Tram Ltd, the transport company was expected to operate and maintain the tram network, and support the project planning.
(SNP) published in its manifesto
for the Scottish Parliamentary election its intention to cancel the scheme, along with the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, in order to save a total of £1.1bn.
In the debate on the Government's Transport program various opposition politicians made statements defending the Edinburgh Trams project. In particular, Labour MSP Wendy Alexander
said "The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change claimed that the costs were out of control, but they are not."
Following a vote which it lost in the Scottish Parliament
, the SNP-led minority Scottish Government agreed to continue with the line from the Airport to Leith on condition that no more public money would be supplied if the project overran. A report by Audit Scotland
, commissioned by the Scottish Government, confirmed that the cost projections were sound.
Initial costs for the scheme were £498 million, with £375 million funding from the Scottish Government and £45 million by Edinburgh council.
On 25 October 2007 the City of Edinburgh Council gave approval to the Final Business Case. Approval was given by the Council on 22 December 2007 for tie to sign contracts with CAF
for the supply of the vehicles and BBS (a consortium of Siemens
and Bilfinger Berger
) for the design, construction and building of the network. Contract negotiations were concluded in April 2008 with construction of the network commencing in June 2008.
In April 2009, Phase 1b of the tram construction project was cancelled due to financial problems. Ongoing contractual disputes also delayed track-laying work in the city centre. In December 2009, there were media reports that the project budget was running over £545 million, and that the tram system was likely to come into operation at least seven months late, putting the launch date back to February 2012 or later. Reports in January 2010 suggested that certain important milestones
of the construction schedule had slipped
by up to two years. In March 2010, Bilfinger Berger announced that the construction work would be delayed by a further 30 months, with an estimated completion date in 2014. However, this estimate was disputed by the Council, which claimed a completion date in 2012 was still feasible.
The operating contract with Transdev was also cancelled in December 2009 in order to reduce costs; the trams will instead be operated by Edinburgh Trams Limited, a company wholly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council.
In May 2011, it was announced that contractors would return to work at priority locations (Haymarket Yards, Gogar roundabout and the depot) while the future of the project was decided. In addition a 10-month programme of remedial work on the Princes Street tram lines laid in 2009 was announced. The same month, Richard Jeffrey resigned as Chief Executive of tie after two years in the job. Shortly after Jeffrey's resignation, four non-executive director
s and the communications director of tie also resigned. This was followed by the introduction of a voluntary redundancy scheme aimed at halving the headcount of the company. In August 2011, it was announced that further redundancies would be made following the appointment of international consultancy Turner & Townsend to take over management of the project from tie.
On 30 June 2011, the City of Edinburgh Council voted to continue with the project (albeit only between Edinburgh Airport and St Andrew Square), with costs having risen to an estimated £770m, leaving the Council with a shortfall of more than £200m. The option of scrapping the project was considered, but rejected. On 25 August 2011, the Council voted to cut the line further to run only between the airport and Haymarket
, reducing the expected cost to £715m. A week later, on 2 September, they reversed this decision, restoring the terminus at St Andrew Square. On 29 November 2011 it was announced that the eastern terminus of the tram line would be at York Place instead of St Andrew Square; the intention had to been to build the tracks to a reversing point at York Place (but without a stop for passengers). By extending passenger services from St Andrew Square to an additional stop at York Place this would enable Broughton Street, Picardy Place and the surrounding area to be better served (at comparitively little additional cost).
(tie), a company wholly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, who were responsible for project-managing
the construction of the tramway.
Once the draft business case had been accepted by the Scottish Government, initial construction work and the movement of underground utilities
commenced in Spring 2007, based on a design by System Design Services (SDS, a joint design contract led by Parsons Brinckerhoff
and Halcrow
).
In May 2008 final contracts to build the tram system were awarded to BSC, a consortium
of Bilfinger Berger
/Siemens
(BBS) and tram builder CAF
, and construction of the tram infrastructure commenced.
The initial system is to use a mix on-street running and (west of Haymarket) segregated off-road track, with conventional tram stop platforms. Stops will be fitted with shelters, ticket machines, lighting and CCTV. The network will be operated from a depot at Gogar
, close to the A8 roundabout, just north of the Gyle tram stop.
The route of the tram line requires the construction of new bridges to cross the railway lines at Edinburgh Park and Stenhouse and a tunnel under the A8 near the Gogar roundabout. Existing bridges at Balgreen, Roseburn, Coltbridge and Craigleith will also have to be widened, and the Murrayfield Viaduct must also be adapted for trams to pass under it. The works to build a tram interchange at Haymarket station involved the demolition of a Category C(S) listed building, the former Caledonian Alehouse on Haymarket Terrace.
The on-street sections of track are being laid into a special foundation with cobbled road surfacing designed to be sympathetic with the existing style of Edinburgh streets. Trams are to be powered by overhead cables which will be suspended either from specially erected poles or from buildings. There are to be nine electrical substations which will be both underground and above ground.
The original proposal consists of three lines, of which only Lines 1 and 2 received parliamentary permission (see Original proposal below). Funding the construction of the entire network was not possible, and for this reason the construction of the remaining two lines was split into four phases:
Funding problems and political disputes have led to these construction plans being further scaled back. In April 2009, Edinburgh City Council
announced the cancellation of Phase 1b of the project, citing problems caused by the global recession, saving an estimated £75 million. The decision meant that the construction of the line to Granton would not go ahead for the foreseeable future. By September 2011, the Phase 1a line had been reduced to the section between the airport and St Andrew Square only, abandoning the city centre to Newhaven section of the line. The short extention from St Andrew Square to York Place was announced on 29 November 2011.
radio programme, that the contractors' claims were unjustified as they had agreed to fixed-price contracts and to bear the project risks. After negotiations, BSC agreed to commence construction work in March 2009 within the original budget, although ongoing disagreements remained. Work recommenced and line construction went ahead. In August 2009, tie began legal proceedings against the BSC consortium over delays to the project, and track-laying works on Leith Walk, Shandwick Place and Haymarket were suspended pending the outcome. At issue were a number of alleged changes to BSC's work specification, including track works on Princes Street and £5 million additional costs on foundation work near Murrayfield Stadium. The BSC consortium also alleged that tie had not diverted the underground utilities
in time for track-laying to begin, thus breaching contractual agreements and costing the consortium additional staffing expenditure. In January 2010 the independent arbiter found in favour of tie on some points, but on most of the disputed issues the arbiter ruled in favour of BSC and awarded the consortium 90% of their additional costs, estimated to be worth up to £80m.
Delays in track laying and depot construction have affected tram vehicle testing. By September 2009 the construction work was reported to be nine months behind schedule, and CAF was due to deliver the first newly-built tram vehicles from its factory in Spain. With a key project dependency
out of synchronisation, tie held discussions with Transport for London
about delivering the trams to Croydon
in the London Borough of Croydon to conduct operational tests on the Tramlink
network. In the end, tram vehicle testing commenced in March 2010 on the Siemens test track in Wildenrath
, Germany, and in August 2011 Tramlink ordered new trams from Stadler Rail
.
The tests included artificially recreating the steep gradients of Leith Walk and using weights to simulate the heavy passenger load expected during a Murrayfield
match day.
and Fringe. Construction was halted once again in January 2010 due to unexpected freezing temperatures during winter.
Cycling groups in the city have voiced safety concerns after some cyclists suffered accidents when their bicycle wheels became caught in tracks. They also reported that the road surface around the tracks was crumbling, raising further safety problems. In response, tie carried out road repairs and Edinburgh Trams agreed to fund special training for local cyclists. Further safety concerns have been raised by residents along the tram routes about the suspension of overhead electric cables from residential buildings, with some property owners refusing to give permission for the cables to be attached.
On September 2011, Princes Street was closed again to all traffic for around 10 months to allow repairs on the crumbling tarmac around the tram lines before they have even been used.
and Newhaven
. The line would then run along the waterfront to Granton
, where it would then loop back, taking over the disused Caledonian Railway
route between via Crewe Toll to Wester Coates and Haymarket. Upon reaching Haymarket, trams will return to on-street running mode and head back along Princes Street.
Line 1 comprised 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) of on-street track integrated with other traffic, 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) of segregated track running along existing roads, and 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) separate tramway. The on-street sections of track would be in the centre of the road in some locations and at the kerbside in others. On the disused line to Granton, the tram line would be integrated with cycle and pedestrian pathways along the Roseburn
wildlife corridor.
In the initial Phase 1a of the project, only the Newhaven-Leith Walk-Princes Street section of this route will be operational, with trams then continuing west to the airport (Line 2 route). Further construction of the Line 1 loop (Phase 1b of the project) was cancelled in 2009 due to financial constraints, postponing construction of the Haymarket-Granton section of this line indefinitely. Phase 2, which would complete the loop with a line from Granton Square to Newhaven, also remains unfunded.
Line 2 would have been an 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) route from the City Centre out to Edinburgh Airport
via Edinburgh Park
, with a branch line to Newbridge
and a total of 19 stops. The airport route was subsequently incorporated into Phase 1a of the project. The branch to Newbridge is dependent on funding becoming available for Phase 3 of the construction project.
In Phase 1a, from St Andrew Square to Haymarket, there is a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) line of on-street track integrated with other traffic along Princes Street and Shandwick Place. At Haymarket station, the tram line will diverge from the road and run down a segregated tramway via Haymarket Yards. The Line 1 branch north towards Granton (Phase 1b) would be located at the bridge over Russell Road. The Phase 1a line will continue west, past the Haymarket rail depot
and Murrayfield Stadium
. Trams will then move onto a dedicated track running parallel to the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line
, briefly crossing south of the railway to serve Sighthill
and Edinburgh Park, before heading north, parallel to the City Bypass
to the Gyle. The tramway will then pass under the A8 road just the east of the Gogar Roundabout, turn west over green belt
land, and then north behind the Hilton Hotel and alongside the Gogar
Burn to a terminus within the existing airport bus station.
The planned branch to Newbridge would begin at the Ingliston stop, continuing west past the Royal Highland Showground
, before crossing onto the central reservation of the A8. It would then turn south via Ratho Station
to rejoin the Glasgow main line. At Harvest Road trams would switch to street-running mode again, sharing the road with traffic to the Newbridge industrial estate before crossing the A89 road
and terminating at the Newbridge roundabout.
A preliminary guided bus
service along part of the future route of Line 2, Fastlink, opened in December 2004. This concrete track, which runs parallel to the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line from Saughton to Edinburgh Park, was intended to be converted to a tram track, eventually replacing the guided bus service with the tram line.
On 27 September 2007, the Scottish Government announced the cancellation of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, a separate project to link mainline rail services to Edinburgh Airport. As an alternative, the government plans that an additional stop is built adjacent to a proposed Gogar railway station
be constructed. This newly-built rail station and tram stop would provide interchange on the Fife Circle Line
with airport tram services. Costs for this have not been stated and would be in addition to the currently budgeted-for amount.
park and ride
. An extension to Musselburgh
was also considered. City councillors also suggested that a route via London Road might be considered as an alternative extension to the network.
Line 3 was not approved by the Scottish Parliament and has not been funded. Funding for the line depended on Edinburgh voters agreeing to a congestion charge, which was rejected in the Edinburgh road tolls referendum in 2005. Following the referendum defeat, Edinburgh City Council applied to the Scottish Government for £198 million funding for the line, but this request was turned down. As such, the proposal is on hold indefinitely and does not form part of the approved phases, but the land needed for the line will be protected for at least 10 years.
as an extension to Edinburgh trams. This proposal was rejected by the Scottish Parliament on ground of cost and the line will not be re-opened for the foreseeable future.
and is worth up to £40 million.
CAF was selected by competitive tender from a list of four rail vehicle manufacturers, the others being Alstom
, Bombardier
, and Siemens. CAF has supplied light rail vehicles for a number of other European tram networks, including EuskoTran
in Bilbao
and MetroCentro
in Seville
, Spain, and for the Antray system in Antalya
, Turkey. The company also supplied new NIR Class 3000 trains for Northern Ireland Railways
and (with Siemens) built rolling stock for the Heathrow Express
service in London.
The Edinburgh trams, built to meet tie
s specifications, will be bi-directional, 42.8 metres (140.4 ft) long
and built with low-floor access
to meet UK Rail Vehicle Access Regulations
for disabled people. Passenger capacity will be 332 with 80 seated and 250 standing and the trams will be fitted with CCTV
.
A number of special requirements have been specified for the tram vehicles: they will have to cope with the steep slopes of Edinburgh streets, operate with low noise and offer a visual fit suitable for a World Heritage Site
. The particular requirements were specified by tie with the aim of designing an advanced tram system tailored for the needs of Edinburgh.
A full size mockup of the front of the proposed tram was constructed in 2009 and put on display on Princes Street for the public to view, later moving to Constitution Street at the foot of Leith Walk in April 2009. There is also a tram front mock up at the Gyle Shopping Centre next to the bus stop.
On 28 April 2010, the first real full-length tram was delivered to Edinburgh, and was put on display (on its rails) at the Princes Street stop at the bottom of The Mound until November 2010. It was subsequently moved to open storage in Broxburn
.
and white livery
, and the Edinburgh tram fleet will now be painted in a matching colour scheme.
. The fare for a single journey on the tram network will be the same as on Lothian Buses, expected to be over £1.30 when the network opens. Day tickets and Ridacards will be valid on both the trams and buses.
At the request of Lothian Buses installation of 30 ticket machines at key bus stops began in 2007. These allowed passengers to purchase tickets before boarding their bus reducing dwell times and giving more time for tourists to select the right ticket for their journey. The ticket machines were to have been modified to issue tram tickets once the service began however due to lack of popularity with users the machines were scrapped in 2011. It is still planned to install similar on-street ticket machines at tram stops before the tram service opens.
Currently the Airlink bus services the Princes St–Airport route. Departures are every 10 minutes between 7am and 12:40 am. 24 hr service operates, departing at 15 and 30 minute intervals before and after this main period respectively. Journey times are 30 minutes from Waverley railway station (about 10 minutes East of Haymarket) to the Airport.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way system which has been under construction in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland, since 2008.
There have been several delays and cost over-runs in the construction of the tramway. The new tram system was originally scheduled to enter revenue service in February 2011. By March 2010, project delays had resulted in the prime contractor revising their estimated completion date to 2014, and by the end of 2010 only 28% of the infrastructure had been completed.
On becoming operational, the trams will be operated by Edinburgh Trams Limited, a company wholly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council. Originally costed at £375 million in 2003, the budget was later increased to £545 million; in May 2011, it was revealed that £440 million had already been spent on the project. A report issued the following month estimated that the partial completion of the tram line from the airport to the city centre would cost £770 million. A further report issued in August 2011 estimated that the final cost for the proposed line would be over £1 billion, including £228 million interest payments on a 30-year loan to cover the funding shortfall.
The project has suffered from contractual disputes between the contractors and Transport Initiatives Edinburgh
Transport Initiatives Edinburgh
tie Ltd. is a Scottish company which, from May 2002 to August 2011, project-managed large-scale transport projects on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom....
(tie), the tram project management company. After mediation talks in early 2011, a deal to enable contractors to return to work on priority locations was arranged in May 2011. Later in the year, tie was relieved of its responsibilities and wound down, being heavily criticized for its handling of the project.
Until June 2011, the proposed network consisted of one line running east-west across the city from Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
to Newhaven
Newhaven, Edinburgh
Newhaven is a district in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, between Leith and Granton. Formerly a village and harbour on the Firth of Forth, it currently has approximately 5,000 inhabitants....
, with future extensions subject to further funding. , this line has been reduced to the section from the airport to St Andrew Square in the city centre, due to cost over-runs. On 29 November 2011 it was announced that the City of Edinburgh Council's City Development Department had agreed that the line should be slightly extended from St Andrew Square to York Place
York Place tram stop
York Place tram stop is a new tram stop proposed for Edinburgh Trams. Subject to formal approval, it will be the eastern terminus of the line and will be located in York Place, Edinburgh, close to the junctions with Picardy Place and Broughton Street...
.
In August 2011 the First Minister, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
, announced that a public inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
will be held into the project.
History
Edinburgh's previous tram system, Edinburgh Corporation TramwaysEdinburgh Corporation Tramways
Edinburgh Corporation Tramways formerly served the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. The city used four-wheeled double-decked trams painted dark red and white - a livery still used by Lothian Buses.-Origins:...
, ran from 1871 until it was decommissioned on 16 November 1956. Since then public transport services consisted of bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es and a limited network of local rail lines. Towards the end of the 20th century, there was revived interest in tramways and light rail transport, and several British cities such as Manchester
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
and Nottingham
Nottingham Express Transit
Nottingham Express Transit is a light-rail tramway in the Nottingham area in England. The first line opened to the public on 9 March 2004, having cost £200 million to construct. The scheme took sixteen years from conception to implementation...
introduced new light rail transit systems. Various schemes were proposed in the 1990s, and a plan to build a line along Princes Street and Leith Walk to Newhaven pier was unveiled in 1999 by the City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise is a sponsored non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government which encourages economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business...
and the New Edinburgh Tramways Company (NET). Following years of transport studies in Edinburgh, two bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
s were submitted to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
to reintroduce a tram network to Edinburgh. Both bills were passed in March 2006, and received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
in April/May.
In May 2004, the 15-year operating contract for Edinburgh Trams was awarded to Transdev
Transdev
Transdev was a major international public transport group based in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France and operating in several countries. Originally created as Société centrale pour l'équipement du territoire in 1955 and developing transportation activities since 1973, Transdev was a subsidiary...
. Trading as Transdev Edinburgh Tram Ltd, the transport company was expected to operate and maintain the tram network, and support the project planning.
Critical scrutiny
The future of the Edinburgh Trams project came under threat in 2007 when the Scottish National PartyScottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) published in its manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
for the Scottish Parliamentary election its intention to cancel the scheme, along with the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, in order to save a total of £1.1bn.
In the debate on the Government's Transport program various opposition politicians made statements defending the Edinburgh Trams project. In particular, Labour MSP Wendy Alexander
Wendy Alexander
Wendy Alexander is a Scottish politician and the former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Paisley North. She held various Scottish Government cabinet posts and was the leader of the Labour Party group in the Scottish Parliament from 2007-2008...
said "The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change claimed that the costs were out of control, but they are not."
Following a vote which it lost in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, the SNP-led minority Scottish Government agreed to continue with the line from the Airport to Leith on condition that no more public money would be supplied if the project overran. A report by Audit Scotland
Audit Scotland
Audit Scotland is an independent public body in Scotland which was established in 2000 and is responsible for auditing most of Scotland's public organisations. These include the Scottish Government, local councils and NHS Scotland....
, commissioned by the Scottish Government, confirmed that the cost projections were sound.
Initial costs for the scheme were £498 million, with £375 million funding from the Scottish Government and £45 million by Edinburgh council.
On 25 October 2007 the City of Edinburgh Council gave approval to the Final Business Case. Approval was given by the Council on 22 December 2007 for tie to sign contracts with CAF
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
for the supply of the vehicles and BBS (a consortium of Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
and Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger is a large, internationally active construction and services company based in Mannheim, Germany.-History:Bilfinger Berger dates back to 1880 when August Bernatz founded an engineering business which became known, from 1886 as Bernatz & Grün and, from 1892, as Grün & Bilfinger.In...
) for the design, construction and building of the network. Contract negotiations were concluded in April 2008 with construction of the network commencing in June 2008.
Project revisions and delays
During the period 2008-09, the tram project was criticised for delays to the infrastructural works, in particular the closure of Princes Street. Transport Initiatives Edinburgh underwent some organisational change at this time; in November 2008 Willie Gallagher stepped down as executive chairman of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh. David Mackay, then Chairman of Transport Edinburgh Limited, took over as interim chairman until he was replaced in May 2009 by Richard Jeffrey.In April 2009, Phase 1b of the tram construction project was cancelled due to financial problems. Ongoing contractual disputes also delayed track-laying work in the city centre. In December 2009, there were media reports that the project budget was running over £545 million, and that the tram system was likely to come into operation at least seven months late, putting the launch date back to February 2012 or later. Reports in January 2010 suggested that certain important milestones
Milestone (Project management)
Within the framework of project management, a milestone is the end of a stage that marks the completion of a work package or phase, typically marked by a high level event such as completion, endorsement or signing of a deliverable, document or a high level review meeting.In addition to signaling...
of the construction schedule had slipped
Project slippage
In project planning, a slippage is the act of missing a deadline. It can be an arbitrary milestone put in place to help track progress.To avoid slippage, one must plan his or her projects carefully to avoid delays in schedule. Using Gantt charts and timeline diagrams can help....
by up to two years. In March 2010, Bilfinger Berger announced that the construction work would be delayed by a further 30 months, with an estimated completion date in 2014. However, this estimate was disputed by the Council, which claimed a completion date in 2012 was still feasible.
The operating contract with Transdev was also cancelled in December 2009 in order to reduce costs; the trams will instead be operated by Edinburgh Trams Limited, a company wholly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Funding crisis
Following further disputes and delays to the project, it was reported in March 2010 that Edinburgh City Council were considering cancelling the contract with Bilfinger Berger. By June 2010, the cost of the project had risen to £600 million or more. City Council project managers were reported to be in crisis talks, considering a number of options including: borrowing an extra £55 million to fund the increased costs; phasing the introduction of the tram line, so that trams would initially run only between the Airport and Haymarket; and terminating the contract with Bilfinger Berger. The Council asked tie to draw up detailed costs for truncating the tram line at four possible termini: Haymarket station, York Place, the foot of Leith Walk or Ocean Terminal.In May 2011, it was announced that contractors would return to work at priority locations (Haymarket Yards, Gogar roundabout and the depot) while the future of the project was decided. In addition a 10-month programme of remedial work on the Princes Street tram lines laid in 2009 was announced. The same month, Richard Jeffrey resigned as Chief Executive of tie after two years in the job. Shortly after Jeffrey's resignation, four non-executive director
Non-executive director
A non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
s and the communications director of tie also resigned. This was followed by the introduction of a voluntary redundancy scheme aimed at halving the headcount of the company. In August 2011, it was announced that further redundancies would be made following the appointment of international consultancy Turner & Townsend to take over management of the project from tie.
On 30 June 2011, the City of Edinburgh Council voted to continue with the project (albeit only between Edinburgh Airport and St Andrew Square), with costs having risen to an estimated £770m, leaving the Council with a shortfall of more than £200m. The option of scrapping the project was considered, but rejected. On 25 August 2011, the Council voted to cut the line further to run only between the airport and Haymarket
Haymarket, Edinburgh
Haymarket is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is in the west of the city and is a focal point for many main roads, notably Dalry Road , Corstorphine Road and Shandwick Place .Haymarket contains a number of popular pubs, cafés and...
, reducing the expected cost to £715m. A week later, on 2 September, they reversed this decision, restoring the terminus at St Andrew Square. On 29 November 2011 it was announced that the eastern terminus of the tram line would be at York Place instead of St Andrew Square; the intention had to been to build the tracks to a reversing point at York Place (but without a stop for passengers). By extending passenger services from St Andrew Square to an additional stop at York Place this would enable Broughton Street, Picardy Place and the surrounding area to be better served (at comparitively little additional cost).
Construction
Until August 2011, the tram system construction project was overseen by Transport Initiatives EdinburghTransport Initiatives Edinburgh
tie Ltd. is a Scottish company which, from May 2002 to August 2011, project-managed large-scale transport projects on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom....
(tie), a company wholly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, who were responsible for project-managing
Project management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
the construction of the tramway.
Once the draft business case had been accepted by the Scottish Government, initial construction work and the movement of underground utilities
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
commenced in Spring 2007, based on a design by System Design Services (SDS, a joint design contract led by Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas,...
and Halcrow
Halcrow Group Limited
Halcrow Group Limited is an engineering consultancy company, based in the United Kingdom.Halcrow is one of the UK's leading consultancies, with a pedigree stretching back to 1868. The UK-based consultancy specialises in the provision of planning, design and management services for infrastructure...
).
In May 2008 final contracts to build the tram system were awarded to BSC, a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger
Bilfinger Berger is a large, internationally active construction and services company based in Mannheim, Germany.-History:Bilfinger Berger dates back to 1880 when August Bernatz founded an engineering business which became known, from 1886 as Bernatz & Grün and, from 1892, as Grün & Bilfinger.In...
/Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
(BBS) and tram builder CAF
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
, and construction of the tram infrastructure commenced.
The initial system is to use a mix on-street running and (west of Haymarket) segregated off-road track, with conventional tram stop platforms. Stops will be fitted with shelters, ticket machines, lighting and CCTV. The network will be operated from a depot at Gogar
Gogar
Gogar is a rural exurb of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the west of the city. It is not far from Gogarloch, Edinburgh Park and Maybury. The Fife Circle Line is to the north of the city.-History:The name of Gogar first appears on a map in 1233...
, close to the A8 roundabout, just north of the Gyle tram stop.
The route of the tram line requires the construction of new bridges to cross the railway lines at Edinburgh Park and Stenhouse and a tunnel under the A8 near the Gogar roundabout. Existing bridges at Balgreen, Roseburn, Coltbridge and Craigleith will also have to be widened, and the Murrayfield Viaduct must also be adapted for trams to pass under it. The works to build a tram interchange at Haymarket station involved the demolition of a Category C(S) listed building, the former Caledonian Alehouse on Haymarket Terrace.
The on-street sections of track are being laid into a special foundation with cobbled road surfacing designed to be sympathetic with the existing style of Edinburgh streets. Trams are to be powered by overhead cables which will be suspended either from specially erected poles or from buildings. There are to be nine electrical substations which will be both underground and above ground.
Construction phases
- Phase 1a would incorporate the construction of an 11.5 miles (18.5 km) line from Newhaven to Edinburgh Airport via Princes StreetPrinces StreetPrinces Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and its main shopping street. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile from Lothian Road in the west to Leith Street in the east. The street is mostly closed to private...
, combining parts of Lines 1 and 2. - Phase 1b would involve the construction of a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) line from Haymarket to Granton Square via Crewe Toll, comprising most of the remainder of Line 1.
- Phase 2 would link Granton Square and Newhaven together, completing the Line 1 loop.
- Phase 3 would have the airport line extended to Newbridge, completing Line 2.
Funding problems and political disputes have led to these construction plans being further scaled back. In April 2009, Edinburgh City Council
Politics of Edinburgh
The politics of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the council of Edinburgh, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament, the House of Commons and the European Parliament....
announced the cancellation of Phase 1b of the project, citing problems caused by the global recession, saving an estimated £75 million. The decision meant that the construction of the line to Granton would not go ahead for the foreseeable future. By September 2011, the Phase 1a line had been reduced to the section between the airport and St Andrew Square only, abandoning the city centre to Newhaven section of the line. The short extention from St Andrew Square to York Place was announced on 29 November 2011.
Contractual disputes
In February 2009 work on the Princes Street section of the works was stopped due to contractual disagreements between tie and the construction BSC consortium. BSC reportedly submitted a late request for an additional £80 million funding which tie was unable to meet. Dave Anderson, Edinburgh City Council’s Director of City Development, expressed the view in an interview with the BBC's You and YoursYou and Yours
You and Yours is a British radio consumer affairs programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4.-History:It began broadcasting in October 1970, its first presenter was Joan York. In the great rescheduling of April 1998 it was increased from a 25 minute programme to 55 minutes. In the 1980s it briefly ran...
radio programme, that the contractors' claims were unjustified as they had agreed to fixed-price contracts and to bear the project risks. After negotiations, BSC agreed to commence construction work in March 2009 within the original budget, although ongoing disagreements remained. Work recommenced and line construction went ahead. In August 2009, tie began legal proceedings against the BSC consortium over delays to the project, and track-laying works on Leith Walk, Shandwick Place and Haymarket were suspended pending the outcome. At issue were a number of alleged changes to BSC's work specification, including track works on Princes Street and £5 million additional costs on foundation work near Murrayfield Stadium. The BSC consortium also alleged that tie had not diverted the underground utilities
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
in time for track-laying to begin, thus breaching contractual agreements and costing the consortium additional staffing expenditure. In January 2010 the independent arbiter found in favour of tie on some points, but on most of the disputed issues the arbiter ruled in favour of BSC and awarded the consortium 90% of their additional costs, estimated to be worth up to £80m.
Delays in track laying and depot construction have affected tram vehicle testing. By September 2009 the construction work was reported to be nine months behind schedule, and CAF was due to deliver the first newly-built tram vehicles from its factory in Spain. With a key project dependency
Dependency (project management)
In a project network, a dependency is a link amongst a project's terminal elements.There are four kinds of dependencies with respect to ordering terminal elements :# Finish to start...
out of synchronisation, tie held discussions with Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
about delivering the trams to Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in the London Borough of Croydon to conduct operational tests on the Tramlink
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
network. In the end, tram vehicle testing commenced in March 2010 on the Siemens test track in Wildenrath
Test- and Validationcenter Wegberg-Wildenrath
The Test and validation centre, Wegberg-Wildenrath is a railway test centre owned by Siemens Mobility near Wildenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:...
, Germany, and in August 2011 Tramlink ordered new trams from Stadler Rail
Stadler Rail
Stadler Rail AG , based in Bussnang, Switzerland, is a Swiss manufacturer of rail passenger cars.In 1942 Ernst Stadler founded the Stadler Engineering Office which later became Stadler Rail.- Factories :...
.
The tests included artificially recreating the steep gradients of Leith Walk and using weights to simulate the heavy passenger load expected during a Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
match day.
Criticism
Ongoing delays in the tram works have been criticised by local businesses, who claim their income has been adversely affected by long-term road closures in the centre of Edinburgh since 2008, and by Edinburgh residents who have voiced dismay over the delays. Construction project delays have also been criticised for causing an obstruction across the city during the 2009 Edinburgh FestivalEdinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
and Fringe. Construction was halted once again in January 2010 due to unexpected freezing temperatures during winter.
Cycling groups in the city have voiced safety concerns after some cyclists suffered accidents when their bicycle wheels became caught in tracks. They also reported that the road surface around the tracks was crumbling, raising further safety problems. In response, tie carried out road repairs and Edinburgh Trams agreed to fund special training for local cyclists. Further safety concerns have been raised by residents along the tram routes about the suspension of overhead electric cables from residential buildings, with some property owners refusing to give permission for the cables to be attached.
On September 2011, Princes Street was closed again to all traffic for around 10 months to allow repairs on the crumbling tarmac around the tram lines before they have even been used.
Delivery
The first electric wires were energised in October 2011 above newly laid track within the depot at Gogar. Testing of trams will begin on 2 December 2011 on the first part of the line to be completed (between Gogarburn and the depot, approximately 1 km in length).Original proposal
The original 2001 proposal for Edinburgh Trams envisaged three routes across the city, Lines 1, 2 and 3; the first being a circular route running around the northern suburbs, with the other two forming radial lines running out to Newbridge in the west and to Newcraighall in the south respectively. All lines would run through the city centre. After Line 3 was shelved, Lines 1 and 2 were combined and split into three phases, with Phase 1 being further divided into Phase 1a and 1b. only the construction of part of Phase 1a (a single line running from the airport to the city centre) is envisaged, with the development of additional phases shelved due to lack of funding and (in the case of Line 3) Scottish Parliamentary approval.Line 1 (North Edinburgh)
Line 1 was planned to be a 15.25 kilometres (9.5 mi) circular route with 22 stops running around the northern suburbs, following a route from the City Centre, St Andrew Square, York Place, Picardy Place, down Leith Walk to LeithLeith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
and Newhaven
Newhaven, Edinburgh
Newhaven is a district in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, between Leith and Granton. Formerly a village and harbour on the Firth of Forth, it currently has approximately 5,000 inhabitants....
. The line would then run along the waterfront to Granton
Granton, Edinburgh
Granton is a district in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Granton forms part of Edinburgh's waterfront along the Firth of Forth and is, historically, an industrial area having a large harbour. Granton is part of Edinburgh's large scale waterfront regeneration programme.-Name:Granton first appears...
, where it would then loop back, taking over the disused Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
route between via Crewe Toll to Wester Coates and Haymarket. Upon reaching Haymarket, trams will return to on-street running mode and head back along Princes Street.
Line 1 comprised 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) of on-street track integrated with other traffic, 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) of segregated track running along existing roads, and 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) separate tramway. The on-street sections of track would be in the centre of the road in some locations and at the kerbside in others. On the disused line to Granton, the tram line would be integrated with cycle and pedestrian pathways along the Roseburn
Roseburn
Roseburn is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.The area lies in the west of the city, beyond Haymarket and close to the Murrayfield area . It is immediately to the south of the A8 road....
wildlife corridor.
In the initial Phase 1a of the project, only the Newhaven-Leith Walk-Princes Street section of this route will be operational, with trams then continuing west to the airport (Line 2 route). Further construction of the Line 1 loop (Phase 1b of the project) was cancelled in 2009 due to financial constraints, postponing construction of the Haymarket-Granton section of this line indefinitely. Phase 2, which would complete the loop with a line from Granton Square to Newhaven, also remains unfunded.
| Name | Phase | Transport Interchange | Serves | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haymarket Haymarket railway station For the Tyne and Wear Metro see Haymarket Metro station.Haymarket railway station is in Haymarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is Edinburgh's second largest station after Waverley, a major commuter and long-distance destination, located quite centrally near the West End... |
Phase 1a | Haymarket railway station Haymarket railway station For the Tyne and Wear Metro see Haymarket Metro station.Haymarket railway station is in Haymarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is Edinburgh's second largest station after Waverley, a major commuter and long-distance destination, located quite centrally near the West End... Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses... Line 2 (West Edinburgh) |
Edinburgh International Conference Centre Edinburgh International Conference Centre The Edinburgh International Conference Centre, or EICC for short, is the principal convention and conference centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.-Location:... St Mary's Music School |
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| Shandwick Place Shandwick Place tram stop Shandwick Place tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | ||||
| Princes Street Princes Street tram stop Princes Street tram stop is a planned stop on the Edinburgh Trams route between Edinburgh Airport and St Andrew Square. The stop was completed as part of the initial track laying work in Princes Street in 2009, and was used to display the first delievered tram in 2010.Owing to the significant cost... |
Phase 1a | Princes Street Princes Street Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and its main shopping street. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile from Lothian Road in the west to Leith Street in the east. The street is mostly closed to private... National Gallery of Scotland National Gallery of Scotland The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens... |
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| St Andrew Square St Andrew Square tram stop St Andrew Square tram stop is a planned Edinburgh Trams stops serving the Princes Street area of Edinburgh. The stop was intended to be one on the line from Edinburgh Airport to Newhaven, but when the planned network was truncated to a single route from the airport to the city centre it became the... |
Phase 1a | Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses... Edinburgh Bus Station Edinburgh Bus Station Edinburgh Bus Station is the bus station serving central Edinburgh which opened in its present form in February 2003.... Waverley Station Edinburgh Waverley railway station Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being... |
St Andrew Square St. James Centre St. James Centre The St. James Centre is a shopping centre located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was designed by Ian Burke & Martin in 1964.Due to its brutalist architecture, it is one of Edinburgh's most unloved buildings, but remains a popular and busy shopping location.... |
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| Picardy Place Picardy Place tram stop Picardy Place tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost-overruns in June 2011. It would have been located on Picardy Place .-External links:*... |
Phase 1a | Omni Centre Edinburgh Playhouse Edinburgh Playhouse The Edinburgh Playhouse is a former cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland which now hosts touring musicals and music concerts. Its capacity is 3,059, making it the UK's largest working theatre in terms of audience capacity.... |
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| McDonald Road McDonald Road tram stop McDonald Road tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Easter Road Stadium | |||
| Balfour Street Balfour Street tram stop Balfour Street tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011. The stop would have served the Pilrig area of Edinburgh and the local park, Pilrig Park.... |
Phase 1a | Pilrig Park | |||
| Foot of the Walk Foot of the Walk tram stop Foot of the Walk tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011. The stop would have served the longest street in Edinburgh, Leith Walk.-External links:*... |
Phase 1a | Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses... |
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| Bernard Street Bernard Street tram stop Bernard Street tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | ||||
| Port of Leith Port of Leith tram stop Port of Leith tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011. The stop would have served the Leith area of Edinburgh, and also the Scottish Government Building at Victoria Quay.-External links:**... (formerly Ocean Drive) |
Phase 1a | Scottish Government building Victoria Quay Victoria Quay is a Scottish Government building situated in Leith, Edinburgh. Designed by Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall, construction began in 1993 and the building was officially opened by the Queen on Monday 1 July 1996... |
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| Ocean Terminal Ocean Terminal tram stop Ocean Terminal tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011.... |
Phase 1a | Ocean Terminal Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland is a shopping centre, designed by Sir Terence Conran.It is built on former industrial docklands on the north side of the city at the edge of the boundary between formerly separate ports of Newhaven and Leith. The land was formerly occupied by the Henry... Royal Yacht Britannia |
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| Newhaven Newhaven tram stop Newhaven tram stop was to be one of several Edinburgh Trams Phase 1a tram stops beyond St Andrews Square. It was cancelled due to cost overruns in June 2011. The stop would have been in the Newhaven area of Edinburgh, located on Lindsay Road... |
Phase 1a | Newhaven Newhaven, Edinburgh Newhaven is a district in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, between Leith and Granton. Formerly a village and harbour on the Firth of Forth, it currently has approximately 5,000 inhabitants.... |
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| Lower Granton | Phase 2 | ||||
| Granton (formerly Granton Square) |
Phase 1b | ||||
| Saltire Square (formerly Granton Waterfront) |
Phase 1b | ||||
| Caroline Park | Phase 1b | Telford College | |||
| West Pilton (formerly West Granton) |
Phase 1b | ||||
| Crewe Toll | Phase 1b | Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses... |
Fettes College Fettes College Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus... |
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| Telford road | Phase 1b | Western General Hospital Western General Hospital The Western General Hospital , at Crewe Road, Edinburgh, Scotland is part of NHS Lothian, a Heath Board which provides a comprehensive range of adult and paediatric care to the people of Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond.It is one of the main teaching hospitals affiliated to the University of... |
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| Craigleith | Phase 1b | Craigleith Retail Park | |||
| Ravelston Dykes | Phase 1b | Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, holds the national collection of modern art. When opened in 1960, the collection was held in Inverleith House, at the Royal Botanic Gardens... Stewart's Melville College Stewart's Melville College Stewart's Melville College is an all boys boarding and day private school situated in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland... The Mary Erskine School The Mary Erskine School The Mary Erskine School, popularly known simply as "Mary Erskine's" or "MES" for short, paired with the all boys school Stewart's Melville College is an all girls independent secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland... St. George's School St. George's School, Edinburgh St. George's School is an all-girls independent school situated in Ravelston, Edinburgh, Scotland.The curriculum is based on the Scottish education system but also uses aspects of the English education system, for example A-Levels are available in sixth form.... |
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| Roseburn | Phase 1b | ||||
| The line continues to Haymarket to complete the loop | |||||
Line 2 (West Edinburgh)
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
via Edinburgh Park
Edinburgh Park
Edinburgh Park is a business park located in South Gyle, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located to the west of the city, near Edinburgh Airport and the Edinburgh City Bypass. The layout of the park was masterplanned by American architect Richard Meier, and it opened in 1995...
, with a branch line to Newbridge
Newbridge, Edinburgh
Newbridge is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of Kirkliston. Newbridge had a total population of 1,013 at the 2001 Census.-Local amenities:...
and a total of 19 stops. The airport route was subsequently incorporated into Phase 1a of the project. The branch to Newbridge is dependent on funding becoming available for Phase 3 of the construction project.
In Phase 1a, from St Andrew Square to Haymarket, there is a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) line of on-street track integrated with other traffic along Princes Street and Shandwick Place. At Haymarket station, the tram line will diverge from the road and run down a segregated tramway via Haymarket Yards. The Line 1 branch north towards Granton (Phase 1b) would be located at the bridge over Russell Road. The Phase 1a line will continue west, past the Haymarket rail depot
Haymarket TMD
Haymarket TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated inside Edinburgh, Scotland, next to Haymarket Station and Murrayfield Stadium. The depot is operated by First ScotRail. The depot code is HA.-External links:A of the depot.-References:...
and Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
. Trams will then move onto a dedicated track running parallel to the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line
Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line
The Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line is a mainline railway line linking Glasgow and Edinburgh via Falkirk in Scotland. It is the principal route out of the four rail links between Scotland's two biggest cities, hosting the flagship "Shuttle" service between and .- Places served :The route...
, briefly crossing south of the railway to serve Sighthill
Sighthill, Edinburgh
Sighthill is a suburb in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland.For nearly 50 years, the West Edinburgh skyline was dominated by 4 high rise residential tower blocks the first of which was demolished on 21st September 2008 with the other three blocks following the same fate just over 3 years later...
and Edinburgh Park, before heading north, parallel to the City Bypass
Edinburgh City Bypass
The Edinburgh City Bypass, designated as A720, is one of the most important trunk roads in Scotland. Circling around the south of Edinburgh, as the equivalent of a ring road for the coastal city, it links together the A1 towards north-east England, the A702 towards north-west England, the M8...
to the Gyle. The tramway will then pass under the A8 road just the east of the Gogar Roundabout, turn west over green belt
Green Belt (UK)
In United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail...
land, and then north behind the Hilton Hotel and alongside the Gogar
Gogar
Gogar is a rural exurb of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the west of the city. It is not far from Gogarloch, Edinburgh Park and Maybury. The Fife Circle Line is to the north of the city.-History:The name of Gogar first appears on a map in 1233...
Burn to a terminus within the existing airport bus station.
The planned branch to Newbridge would begin at the Ingliston stop, continuing west past the Royal Highland Showground
Royal Highland Showground
The Royal Highland Centre is the exhibition centre and showgrounds located at Ingliston west of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8....
, before crossing onto the central reservation of the A8. It would then turn south via Ratho Station
Ratho Station
Ratho Station is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.It is located south of Edinburgh Airport; the community has a population of approximately 600...
to rejoin the Glasgow main line. At Harvest Road trams would switch to street-running mode again, sharing the road with traffic to the Newbridge industrial estate before crossing the A89 road
A89 road
The A89 is a trunk road in Scotland, United Kingdom. It runs from Glasgow to Newbridge in Edinburgh. It was once the A8, which has now been replaced, mostly by the M8. The A89 runs from Edinburgh for about to Livingston and an extra to Bathgate. It runs through Armadale, Airdrie and Coatbridge...
and terminating at the Newbridge roundabout.
A preliminary guided bus
Guided bus
Guided buses are buses steered for part or all of their route by external means, usually on a dedicated track. This track, which often parallels existing roads, excludes other traffic, permitting the maintenance of reliable schedules on heavily used corridors even during rush hours.Guidance systems...
service along part of the future route of Line 2, Fastlink, opened in December 2004. This concrete track, which runs parallel to the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line from Saughton to Edinburgh Park, was intended to be converted to a tram track, eventually replacing the guided bus service with the tram line.
On 27 September 2007, the Scottish Government announced the cancellation of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, a separate project to link mainline rail services to Edinburgh Airport. As an alternative, the government plans that an additional stop is built adjacent to a proposed Gogar railway station
Gogar railway station
Gogar station is a planned railway station and interchange at Gogar in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is to be served by First ScotRail and Edinburgh Trams.Current proposals are to call the rail station and tram stop Edinburgh Gateway....
be constructed. This newly-built rail station and tram stop would provide interchange on the Fife Circle Line
Fife Circle Line
The Fife Circle is the local rail service north from Edinburgh. It links all the towns of south Fife and the coastal towns along the Firth of Forth before heading to Edinburgh.-Service:...
with airport tram services. Costs for this have not been stated and would be in addition to the currently budgeted-for amount.
| Name | Phase | Transport Interchange | Serves | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between the city centre and Haymarket, trams run along Line 1. | |||||
| Haymarket Haymarket railway station For the Tyne and Wear Metro see Haymarket Metro station.Haymarket railway station is in Haymarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is Edinburgh's second largest station after Waverley, a major commuter and long-distance destination, located quite centrally near the West End... |
Phase 1a | Haymarket Haymarket railway station For the Tyne and Wear Metro see Haymarket Metro station.Haymarket railway station is in Haymarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is Edinburgh's second largest station after Waverley, a major commuter and long-distance destination, located quite centrally near the West End... Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses... Line 1 (North Edinburgh) |
Edinburgh International Conference Centre Edinburgh International Conference Centre The Edinburgh International Conference Centre, or EICC for short, is the principal convention and conference centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.-Location:... |
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| Murrayfield Stadium Murrayfield Stadium tram stop Murrayfield Stadium tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1 and provide direct access to Murrayfield Stadium and Murrayfield Ice Rink.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Murrayfield Stadium Murrayfield Stadium Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one... |
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| Balgreen Balgreen tram stop Balgreen tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo, formally the Scottish National Zoological Park, is a non-profit zoological park located in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland... |
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| Saughton Saughton tram stop Saughton tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | ||||
| Bankhead Bankhead tram stop Bankhead tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Stevenson College Stevenson College, Edinburgh Stevenson College Edinburgh, Edinburgh is one of the largest further education colleges in Scotland. It was founded in 1970, and is named after famous Scottish engineer, Robert Stevenson... |
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| Edinburgh Park Edinburgh Park railway station Edinburgh Park railway station is a railway station in the west of Edinburgh serving the Edinburgh Park business park and the Hermiston Gait shopping centre. The station opened in December 2003 and is the first intermediate station between and since 1951.... |
Phase 1a | Hermiston Gait retail park | |||
| Edinburgh Park Central Edinburgh Park Central tram stop Edinburgh Park Central tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Edinburgh Park Edinburgh Park Edinburgh Park is a business park located in South Gyle, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located to the west of the city, near Edinburgh Airport and the Edinburgh City Bypass. The layout of the park was masterplanned by American architect Richard Meier, and it opened in 1995... |
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| Gyle Centre Gyle Centre tram stop Gyle Centre tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1The tram depot will also be near the Gyle, at Gogar.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Gyle Shopping Centre | |||
| Gogarburn Gogarburn tram stop Gogarburn tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1.-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Royal Bank of Scotland Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the... headquarters |
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| Ingliston Park & Ride Ingliston Park & Ride tram stop Ingliston Park & Ride tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1-External links:**... |
Phase 1a | Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses... |
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| Line splits - Edinburgh Airport branch | |||||
| Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport tram stop Edinburgh Airport tram stop is a new tram stop currently under construction by Edinburgh Trams. It will be on Line 1-Stop Information:The Airport station will be located on Burnside Road, near the airport terminal. The station will be a terminus station.... |
Phase 1a | Edinburgh Airport Rail Link | Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements... |
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| Newbridge branch | |||||
| Ingliston West | Phase 3 | Royal Highland Showground Royal Highland Showground The Royal Highland Centre is the exhibition centre and showgrounds located at Ingliston west of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8.... |
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| Ratho Station | Phase 3 | ||||
| Newbridge South | Phase 3 | ||||
| Newbridge North | Phase 3 | ||||
Line 3 (South East Edinburgh)
The proposals also featured a third tram line, which would run from the City Centre to the southern suburbs. The route was not finalised, but proposals indicated a preferred route would cross North Bridge and the Royal Mile, heading south past the University of Edinburgh, along Nicolson Street. An alternative route suggested trams could bypass the congested Nicolson Street and Clerk Street section by turning right into Nicolson Square and heading south along Potterrow. Southbound trams would return to Newington Road via West Preston Street, and a northbound track would run along Causewayside. A segregated track was proposed to cross Cameron Toll, and after crossing the Inch Park, trams would then run down the Old Dalkeith Road towards the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and finally terminating at Newcraighall railway stationNewcraighall railway station
Newcraighall railway station is a railway station serving the Newcraighall area of Edinburgh in Scotland. It is the current terminus of the Edinburgh Crossrail line...
park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
. An extension to Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
was also considered. City councillors also suggested that a route via London Road might be considered as an alternative extension to the network.
Line 3 was not approved by the Scottish Parliament and has not been funded. Funding for the line depended on Edinburgh voters agreeing to a congestion charge, which was rejected in the Edinburgh road tolls referendum in 2005. Following the referendum defeat, Edinburgh City Council applied to the Scottish Government for £198 million funding for the line, but this request was turned down. As such, the proposal is on hold indefinitely and does not form part of the approved phases, but the land needed for the line will be protected for at least 10 years.
| Name | Phase | Transport Interchange | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waverley station | N/A | Waverley Station Edinburgh Waverley railway station Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being... Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses... Line 1 (North Edinburgh) |
|
| High Street | N/A | Royal Mile Royal Mile The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle... |
|
| South Bridge | N/A | ||
| Nicolson Square | N/A | University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university... George Square campus |
|
| St Patrick Square | N/A | ||
| The Meadows | N/A | The Meadows The Meadows (park) The Meadows is a large public park in Edinburgh, Scotland, just to the south of the city centre. Largely consisting of wide open grassland crossed by tree-lined paths, the park also has a children's playground, a croquet club, tennis courts and cricket pitches... |
|
| Newington Road | N/A | Newington Newington, Edinburgh Newington is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about 15 to 20 minutes walk south of the city centre, the Royal Mile and Princes Street.It is the easternmost district of the area formerly covered by the Burgh Muir, gifted to the City by David I in the 12th Century... |
|
| Minto Street | N/A | ||
| Newington Station | N/A | Interchange with South Suburban Railway at Newington Station | |
| Craigmillar Park | N/A | University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university... King's Buildings campus (at some distance) |
|
| Cameron Toll | N/A | Cameron Toll Shopping Centre | |
| The Inch | N/A | ||
| Moredun | N/A | Moredun Moredun Moredun is a district of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of Liberton, while Craigour is situated just to its north.Originally called Gutters and later Goodtrees, the estate was renamed Moredun in 1769.-Sources:Google Maps... |
|
| RIE/Bio Medipark | N/A | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | |
| Greendykes | N/A | Greendykes Greendykes Greendykes is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is a fairly large council scheme, which consists mostly of low-rise flats but also houses two 14 storey tower blocks . It is sometimes considered to be part of Craigmillar, areas such as Niddrie, Niddrie Mains and Newcraighall are... |
|
| Craigmillar | N/A | Craigmillar Craigmillar Craigmillar , from the Gaelic Crag Maol Ard, meaning 'High Bare Rock', is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about south east of the city centre, with Duddingston to the north and Newcraighall to the east.- History :... |
|
| Niddrie | N/A | Niddrie Niddrie, Edinburgh This article is about Niddrie, a suburb of Edinburgh. See also: Longniddry, Niddry Castle.Niddrie is a suburb of south east Edinburgh, Scotland, UK... |
|
| The Wisp | N/A | ||
| Fort Kinnaird | N/A | Fort Kinnaird Fort Kinnaird Fort Kinnaird is a large outdoor retail park, which is located in the village of Newcraighall, just off the A1 in the southeast of Edinburgh, Scotland... retail park |
|
| Newcraighall | N/A |
Other proposals
In addition to the three routes selected by transport planners, other proposals were put forward for inclusion in the tram network. Local campaigning groups have suggested that it would be possible to re-open the Edinburgh South Suburban RailwayEdinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
The Edinburgh Suburban and South Side Junction Railway is a freight and former commuter railway which runs in a loop across the southern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It opened in 1884 for both freight and passenger services...
as an extension to Edinburgh trams. This proposal was rejected by the Scottish Parliament on ground of cost and the line will not be re-opened for the foreseeable future.
Vehicles
The contract to build a fleet of 27 trams, sufficient for both the Phase 1a and 1b lines was awarded to the Spanish rail equipment manufacturer CAFConstrucciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
and is worth up to £40 million.
CAF was selected by competitive tender from a list of four rail vehicle manufacturers, the others being Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, and Siemens. CAF has supplied light rail vehicles for a number of other European tram networks, including EuskoTran
EuskoTran
EuskoTran is a light rail tram service which operates in the cities of Bilbao , Vitoria and, in the future, in the town of Leioa , all of them in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak -...
in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
and MetroCentro
MetroCentro (Seville)
MetroCentro is a surface tramway serving the centre of the city Seville, in Andalusia, Spain. It began operating in October 2007.At the present time, the service consists of just five stops, Plaza Nueva, Archivo de Indias, Puerta de Jerez, Prado de San Sebastián and San Bernardo, as part of Phase I...
in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain, and for the Antray system in Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, Turkey. The company also supplied new NIR Class 3000 trains for Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...
and (with Siemens) built rolling stock for the Heathrow Express
British Rail Class 332
The British Rail Class 332 is the type of electric multiple unit train used on the Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport.-Description:The fleet was built in 1997-1998 by Siemens and CAF at the latter’s factory in Zaragoza, Spain...
service in London.
The Edinburgh trams, built to meet tie
Transport Initiatives Edinburgh
tie Ltd. is a Scottish company which, from May 2002 to August 2011, project-managed large-scale transport projects on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom....
s specifications, will be bi-directional, 42.8 metres (140.4 ft) long
and built with low-floor access
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
to meet UK Rail Vehicle Access Regulations
Disability Discrimination Act 2005
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Section 20 - Short title, interpretation, commencement and extent:The following orders have been made under section 20:*...
for disabled people. Passenger capacity will be 332 with 80 seated and 250 standing and the trams will be fitted with CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
.
A number of special requirements have been specified for the tram vehicles: they will have to cope with the steep slopes of Edinburgh streets, operate with low noise and offer a visual fit suitable for a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The particular requirements were specified by tie with the aim of designing an advanced tram system tailored for the needs of Edinburgh.
A full size mockup of the front of the proposed tram was constructed in 2009 and put on display on Princes Street for the public to view, later moving to Constitution Street at the foot of Leith Walk in April 2009. There is also a tram front mock up at the Gyle Shopping Centre next to the bus stop.
On 28 April 2010, the first real full-length tram was delivered to Edinburgh, and was put on display (on its rails) at the Princes Street stop at the bottom of The Mound until November 2010. It was subsequently moved to open storage in Broxburn
Broxburn
Broxburn is the name of more than one place in the United Kingdom:*Broxburn, East Lothian, Scotland*Broxburn, West Lothian, ScotlandIt is also the name of a place in Australia:*Broxburn, Queensland, Australia...
.
Livery
To create a visual continuity between the tram fleets and local bus services, Edinburgh tram vehicles will have the same livery as that of Lothian Buses. The prototype CAF trams seen to date have all been decorated with the "harlequin" design which was introduced on Lothian Buses in the 1990s. Following the announcement of a rebranding of the bus fleet in April 2010, Lothian Buses are reintroducing their traditional madderRose madder
Rose Madder is the commercial name sometimes used to designate a paint made from the pigment Madder Lake - a traditional lake pigment, extracted from the common madder plant ....
and white livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
, and the Edinburgh tram fleet will now be painted in a matching colour scheme.
Ticketing and fares
Ticketing and fares will be fully integrated with Lothian BusesLothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
. The fare for a single journey on the tram network will be the same as on Lothian Buses, expected to be over £1.30 when the network opens. Day tickets and Ridacards will be valid on both the trams and buses.
At the request of Lothian Buses installation of 30 ticket machines at key bus stops began in 2007. These allowed passengers to purchase tickets before boarding their bus reducing dwell times and giving more time for tourists to select the right ticket for their journey. The ticket machines were to have been modified to issue tram tickets once the service began however due to lack of popularity with users the machines were scrapped in 2011. It is still planned to install similar on-street ticket machines at tram stops before the tram service opens.
Journey times and frequency
The tram is proposed to operate every 10 minutes, with a journey time claimed of "approximately 20 minutes from Haymarket to the airport", with service from 06:00 to midnight Monday to Saturday (07:00 start on Sunday).Currently the Airlink bus services the Princes St–Airport route. Departures are every 10 minutes between 7am and 12:40 am. 24 hr service operates, departing at 15 and 30 minute intervals before and after this main period respectively. Journey times are 30 minutes from Waverley railway station (about 10 minutes East of Haymarket) to the Airport.
See also
- Transport in EdinburghTransport in EdinburghEdinburgh constitutes a major transport hub in east central Scotland and as such is at the centre of a multi-modal transport network comprising road, rail and air communications connecting the city with the rest of Scotland, the United Kingdom and internationally....
- Light Rail Transit AssociationLight Rail Transit AssociationThe Light Rail Transit Association is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to advocate and encourage research into the retention and development of light rail and tramway/streetcar systems...
- Scottish Tramway and Transport SocietyScottish Tramway and Transport SocietyThe Scottish Tramway and Transport Society was founded on 27 June 1951. Until 1983 it was known as the Scottish Tramway Museum Society. The Society was originally formed by tramway enthusiasts, mainly living in the Glasgow area, with a view to preserve a Glasgow "Room and Kitchen" type single deck...
- List of Tramways in Scotland
- Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
External links
- Edinburgh Trams official photo library
- Video footage of Edinburgh Trams undergoing tests in Germany (BBC News Reporting ScotlandReporting ScotlandReporting Scotland is BBC Scotland's national television news programme. The programme first aired on 1 April 1968, with three main presenters - the most famous being Mary Marquis...
, 4 March 2010) - Promotional videos
- Edinburgh Trams Flickr group
- Edinburgh Transport News - The Scotsman
- Auditor Generals Report on Tram Scheme June 2007
- Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill Committee
- Edinburgh Tram (Line Two) Bill Committee
- Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Act 2006
- Edinburgh Tram (Line Two) Act 2006
- Leith Business Association Business Owners affected by the implementation of the tramway
- Keep Bleneheim Place Open Steering Group Residents affected by the implementation of the tramway